The Return of Killer Drago
by Sungod
Summary: After Rocky V.
1. Default Chapter

He was known as Killer Drago.  He was known as Killer Drago because he had fought Appallo Creed and beat him in the second round.  It was a knockout and Appallo Creed had fallen and the crowd let out a communal gasp.

Killer Drago's next match was on Christmas.  He had fought Rocky Balboa and lost in the final round.  It was a knockout.  Ivan Drago was hospitalized.  Most people thought that he would retire, that the world had seen the last Ivan Drago fight.  They were wrong.  For the next four years, Ivan Drago trained hard and fought hard and never lost a match.  In 1990, he had a record of 40-1 and he wanted another shot at the title.  Rocky was still the champion and for both fighters, the payday was too much to turn down.  They fought one more time and this time, Drago was beaten soundly.  Drago, having realized that he was never going to become the champion of the world, decided to retire.

He and his wife bought a new house and moved out to the Russian countryside.  They tried to live a quiet life, but Drago kept waiting.  Waiting.

A year later, having already heard of Rocky's retirement, Drago learned that a new kid, Tommy Gunn had just become champion of the world.  To Drago he looked weak.  He was undefeated but there was something about him, something about the way Tommy's arrogance that made Drago confident that he could beat him and beat him soundly.

He called his manager and two days later there was a press conference.  Ivan Drago was coming out of retirement and he wanted to fight the new champion, Tommy "The Machine" Gunn.  The manager took questions from the reporters who had gathered in the living room of Drago's mansion.

"After the retirement of Rocky Balboa," he said after he was ready to end the conference, "the world has lost interest in boxing.  With this title fight, if Tommy Gunn is man enough to accept our challenge, we hope to change that.  The world might not like Ivan Drago, but they'll pack an arena to see him fight.  That's all.  Thank you for coming out today."

The press gathered up their things and got ready for their flights to Oklahoma to attend a press conference that was going to be held by Tommy Gunn.  


	2. Chapter 2

Drago stared at Tommy Gunn as the referee told both fighters the rules. The usual. No low blows, watch the rabbit punches.  
  
Both men went into their separate corners and the bell rang for round one. Tommy Gunn circled Drago. He was afraid. Couldn't help it. Drago had been defeated by only one man and Tommy thought about what kind of chances he could have against the man.  
  
Not much. A couple of hard blows to the head and body left him speechless, dazed. What could he do? He covered up, kept his gloves around his skull, tried to protect himself. But soon, SMACK! He went down.  
  
The referee counted. He was out.  
  
The crowd filled the ring. Reporters. Managers, interviewers. They all made their way down. Drago was handed the championship belt. He thought he looked quite good in it.  
  
That night, Billy Hutchingson sat alone in the basement of a house he shared with his mother in Birmingham, Alabama. He watched the fight on Pay- Per-View. He didn't like either fighter very much. Tommy was a traitor to his hero, Rocky. Drago had killed Appallo Creed.  
  
Billy dreamed that he might one day fight Drago. He had, so far, as a professional boxer, a record of 11-9. Not an impressive record. Not one that would get him a fight with the champion of the world.  
  
No, Billy Hutchingson was a club boxer, a hobbyist who boxed for some beer money on Friday nights at a club called KillPatrick's. It was fun.  
  
But something bothered him about all this. This Drago, this killing monster and the way he stared at the cameras after he won the title; the way he appeared to be staring at Billy himself, looking through him, challenging him to take Drago down.  
  
Billy turned off the TV and went for a walk. He had to get serious about his training. He had to start winning matches if he even had a prayer of challenging someone like Drago. He had to get a real trainer. 


End file.
